Javontee Herndon Zoned in on Consistency, Playmaking

The undrafted wide receiver is doing his best to get noticed.

When Javontee Herndon surprisingly went undrafted in May, he had a number of suitors lined up to sign him. But there was only one choice in his mind. After all, the San Diego Chargers had their eye on him throughout the entire draft.

“I had a lot of teams calling me after the draft ended, and also during the draft telling me they might be picking me soon,” he said. “And the Chargers showed a lot of interest in me and made me feel wanted. I was disappointed not to be drafted, but it’s all worked out. This is the best place for me. The Chargers spoke with me about two or three times in the months leading up to the draft.”

Not only did the Chargers want the wideout on their roster, Herndon believes he is a strong fit in this scheme. His strong performance in training camp and a couple noteworthy catches in the most recent preseason game have backed up that notion.

“I’m trying to take every opportunity I can and make sure they know who I am,” he said. “I think I fit in well here. I’m a competitor and that’s the biggest thing they want. They’re looking for guys who will go out and compete every day. They want a receiver that can run routes and get open, but they also want a blocker and I think I’m a good blocker. That’s one of my strong suits. So I think I have something to offer this team.”

Herndon is a 6-0, 194-pounder out of Arkansas. He appeared in 49 games with the Razorbacks with 14 starts, ending his career with 62 receptions, 910 yards and seven touchdowns. That includes career-highs in 2013 with 31 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns. Herndon also has return ability, averaging 7.4 yards per punt return a year ago.

Now, the wide receiver is focused on proving his reliability in order to secure a place on the team as cut-down day approaches next week.

“I just want to show consistency,” he said. “That’s the main thing. Being a reliable option for the quarterback (means) everything. The more consistent you are the more the quarterback trusts you, and that’s important.”

“It’s fun to be out with those guys first and foremost,” he explained. “They are all great teachers. They like to go out and have fun, but they are teaching every chance they can. So it’s a great opportunity for me.”

Another great opportunity will be the team’s final two preseason games, starting Sunday in San Francisco, as Herndon aims to make the final roster.

“These next two games are very important,” he said. “We all know cuts are coming up, so I need to show my consistency, make plays and do as much as I can so I can make this team.”

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